ANOTHER HOUSEWIFE BLOG

I've been checking out other housewife blogs, and I wanted to let you know about a real winner - The Rebel Housewife.

She blogs, she's written a book, and she struggles with some of the same issues we all do - getting our homes under control. Truly, despite all the labor-saving devices in the world, our homes seem to be in worse shape than ever. A good part of that is that we have WAY too busy lives - many of us work, at least part-time, we chauffer kids (and sometimes grandkids), some of are so over-scheduled that we have to buy organizers just to try to keep up on our multiple responsibilities.

Sherri credits the Flylady site with giving her the most assistance in getting out from under the chaos, as I also do. If you aren't signed up for the daily emails, do so today. It's made a tremendous difference in my life.

SICK AGAIN

I've been feeling under the weather lately. I posted, but on my other 2 blogs (and the family blog). This blog is taking more time than I thought it would.

Unfortunately, I've been treating it like a fluffy indulgence - easily avoided, not a priority. That's not what I intended.

So, I've drawn up a schedule that will have me updating at least 2 times a week. Due to work, I'll have to do a great deal of that writing off-line. But, I've taken on the responsibility of regular posting, so expect to see it from now on.

HOME AGAIN

I didn't get called into work today, so I spent some time catching up on stuff. My taxes was high on my list, but I chose, instead, to procrastinate to the max.

As soon as I finish this post, I will, finally, get to work on the @#$%^&*($ taxes.

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I've been good about the meal plan lately. Today, when I dressed, I noticed that the waistband of my skirt was getting loose. I remember that it wasn't too long ago that I couldn't even zip up this skirt. So, I'm quite happy.

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Homemaking Tip: If you have crud that's hardened on the stove, don't chisel and scrape - just wet down a sponge, and place it over the spot for about 10 minute. It will soften the mess, and make wiping it up a breeze.

THE REAL DESPERATE HOUSEWIFE

Maxine - the REAL desperate housewife 

Say what you will about the over-the-top sexiness of Desperate Housewives, it's been a real shot in the arm to the egos of women staying at home. For many years, women like Maxine were the image people pictured when they heard the word "housewife".

Now, I'm not suggesting that we wear gold lamé dresses to scrub out the toilet, but, certainly, it makes a difference when we take the time to dress in a shirt & pants (not jeans), comb our hair and put on make-up. FlyLady makes this point on her site. A constant reminder is to PUT ON YOUR SHOES. With real shoes (not slippers) and a clean, neat appearance, we also function better.



Except for Gabriella, all of these women are dressed for housework. They are neat, accessorized, and ready to face the world.

Below, they are more dressed-down (except for Marcie Cross, who basically NEVER gets into the grunge look), but still appropriate.



A little too much skin on Nicolette, but otherwise OK.



Check out Glamour Do's and Don'ts for real-life examples, changed monthly.

STEPFORD DAYS

Today my husband and I performed major surgery on the clutter in our house. As a result, I am sitting in my recliner, enjoying the cleared-out space.

I'm afraid that the urge to clean may have been fed, because I notice that I've been busy planning the other changes/improvements I can make over the next few weeks.

It is nice to see the improvement, however.